Farming practices may become more efficient by informing growers with more accurate and thorough information on the status of their crops. For example, timely and accurate knowledge of the emergent plant density and size distribution and their spatial variances across the field may enable growers and agronomists to a) determine more accurately how the emergent crop population differs from the planned population and where replanting may be necessary; b) detect poor germination areas which can then be investigated for bad seed, bad soil, or other disadvantageous conditions; c) detect malfunctioning planting implements for corrective action; d) more accurately and selectively apply inputs such as fertilizers, fungicides, herbicides, pesticides, and other inputs; e) more thoroughly understand how combinations of seed types, planting densities, soil chemistries, irrigation, fertilizers, chemicals, etc. contribute to crop populations which optimize production yields.